Orange
by Rietto
Summary: Even now, he still caused him pain. In which Ion had died and left Asch with what seems to be empty promises and an impossible request.
1. Chapter 1

Asch looked in the general direction of where Crescent Island was supposed to be and sighed.

He just returned from said island a week ago, and yet, he found himself wanting to return to the island. It was an island meant for Fon Master's retreat, but Asch had no interest for such things. To take a break from everything would only make him crumble, and he hadn't wanted that.

He was sure Ion hadn't wanted that either. The younger boy had made it his mission to prevent him from regressing, as he put it after all. He'd task Asch with distractions, and as much as Asch hated to admit it, he was grateful for all of those distractions.

Crazy Ion with his crazy ideas... was what kept him sane these past years.

Asch knew.

That's why, he wanted to go back.

He wanted to go back to Crescent Island, and make sure.

As he closed his eyes, inhaling the refreshing breeze on the Daath Port, memory of that day a week ago came back to his mind.

* * *

_It's a game... Our last... hahaha... I'm scared... I'm scared..._

_Luke... you'll... you'll blow me away to somewhere far... and you... you have to... take responsibility..._

_I still... I still want to be with you... with Arietta, Cantabile... even with Hibiscus too! I miss the cheagle... can you... can you imagine th-that?!_

_So..._

_Please... Luke, please..._

_Find me..._

* * *

Asch heaved another sigh.

What an irresponsible request to make.

He then looked down to his hands and somehow found himself wondering.

Was it true, the thing Ion said? The last words he said...

"Ah there you are, Luke. I've been looking all over for you."

Asch turned around and glared at the newcomer. Ever since Ion's death, only one person called him with his true name. The woman clad in black smiled at him mischievously before rustling his long blood colored hair, much to his annoyance.

He grunted and smacked her away, resulting in her laughing her arse off.

"So serious, as always, huh."

"What do you want, Cantabile?"

At the question, the woman's face tensed, and her smile fell.

"Me? Well, I want nothing of you for the moment. Can't say the same about Van though."

Asch clicked his tongue at the statement.

"Come on. Let's go back before he got yourself in trouble."

Uncertainly, he nodded and followed Cantabile back to the holy city.

* * *

Sometimes Asch felt as if his work had been reduced to that of a baby-sitter ever since Ion became too weak to deal with his work anymore.

Few months before, just as his seventh replica was deemed ready to fool the populace, Ion's condition got even worse, and so he was brought to Crescent Island to spend his last days in. Needless to say, the replica was then made to do Ion's work, with Asch by his side to help him until he's used to them. Thankfully, the replica was a smart one, so it didn't take more than a month until everyone deemed him capable enough to work by himself, much to Asch's relief. After that, Van gave him the job to help Sync to start his work. Sometimes he wondered why Cantabile hadn't been the one given the job, since she seemed to like replicas and she was the best in what Van wanted Sync to do, but then again Asch had noticed that he didn't trust her very much.

Cantabile's allegiance was to Ion, and both didn't trust Van. Not one bit.

Perhaps Van realized it too, that even after Ion was gone, Cantabile was still dangerous. Asch himself had no doubt that whatever Ion had in mind, the crazy kid was sure to have planned for the future without him, Cantabile would surely make it happen.

She trusted Ion too much. And ever since that incident when she was caught by Van and kept in dungeons for days, she hadn't been his biggest fan.

Sync was, without a doubt, a pain to take care of. The fifth replica always looked at him with eyes which shown wonder and a sick sense of unity deep within him. Those eyes annoyed him. That was why he gave him his mask. Van seemed to approve however.

It would help to hide the truth from Arietta, he had said.

Most of the time, Asch left him to his own devices. He knew that Sync went to the dungeon a lot, but he couldn't care less about it.

Arietta had been demoted, and to distract her from taking the replica Ion, which everyone wouldn't put it past her, Van had given her many missions. She was demoted by Ion himself. Both had cried that day, although only Asch was there to see Ion's tears. Perhaps also Cantabile. The woman had eyes everywhere.

Asch wondered if now, in her free time, she was still crying. Perhaps the reason Van called him was because Arietta was crying.

Van made him go to see her everytime she cried, as Asch was considered on of her special person. More than Largo, whom Asch knew treated her like the daughter he couldn't keep, Arietta trusted Asch more.

Calming her had always been a pain too. Her eyes sometimes similar to Sync's.

How dreadful.

"So. How are you doing?"

Cantabile started conversely, her one good eye locked on the morning sky, which would surely turn to orange when they arrives.

"I'm fine."

"Somehow I doubt it. Come on. It's just me. Talk to me, Luke."

"I'm talking."

The woman sighed audibly.

The sky... Asch supposed it's the same with the sky from years ago.

The sky when he set out with Ion and Arietta to look for Cantabile, whom had gotten herself captured by Van.

* * *

_"Nice weather isn't it? I hope tomorrow would be nice like this too."_

* * *

Everyone but Asch had nodded in agreement with smiles on their faces.

Asch honestly couldn't care less.

He just...

…

..

.

What?

What did he want that day?

Asch found himself wondering as he walked. He couldn't remember what he thought that day, even though he was sure it was on the tip of his tongue.

When he realized it, it was already evening, and they were already on Daath. He didn't know if he'd stopped and ate in the way, since Cantabile clearly brought food with her, but since he didn't feel hungry, he supposed he had.

"Right. I'm off to the Academy then. Sure as hell they're looking for me too."

Asch nodded absentmindedly.

"Are you sure you'll be fine?"

Cantabile said as she cupped Asch's face, looking worriedly into his vibrant green eyes. The sight made him swallowed before answering, sounding less than certain.

"... yes."

She didn't seem convinced.

"Dude, you're going to work under him."

"I've been working under him for five years now."

"But only technically. Now is the real deal."

"..."

"And it's the whole truth with Ion gone."

* * *

_"I've prepared lots of stuffs for you later. Have some faith in me, will you? "_

* * *

Asch gulped again as memory of Ion once again came to his mind.

Ion, lying prone on his bed... smiling his secret smile...

"... I know. I'll be fine. I'm fine. And... someone has to take care of Arietta."

Cantabile's grip on his face tightened and she frowned disapprovingly.

"Stop. You're just saying that. You don't care about her. At least, not that much."

"..."

"Hey... Do you trust Ion?"

* * *

_"... Asch, do you trust me?"_

* * *

The memory caused him to answer it quickly.

"No."

No.

He didn't.

How could he?

It's crazy Ion with his crazy ideas and promises and...

"You should. He never lied."

Asch snorted.

Ion hid things. He had known it from the start, and to him, it was the same as lying.

Probably realizing that there's no convincing him, Cantabile let him go and sighed.

"... I'll help as much as I can, you know I will, right?"

"... yes."

"Good. I expect messages. Lots of them. Get Arietta's hawks to send me one everyday if necessary. Do you understand, Luke?"

Uncertainly, Asch nodded again before turning and walking away from the woman.


	2. Chapter 2

Let us skip ahead to the year of N.D 2018

* * *

_"My Echo, please listen."_

_"Your memory particles shouldn't have fused with your fonons yet, so you probably won't remember, but please listen to me."_

_"I'm giving you my love for Luke fon Fabre."_

_"You must become the person he could rely on."_

_"Take everything he's supported by, this small weak body, this broken mind, and this limited power. And please, continue to help him in my stead."_

_"Please watch over him in my stead."_

_"I am no longer able to do so."_

_"Perhaps creating you was a mistake, what is killing me, even so I don't blame you. Despite my anger towards you and those who have came before you, deep down I know who's really at fault."_

_"My demise had been due to my own foolishness, and I am sorry to have to push this into you."_

_"But I beg of you, please help him."_

_"Please save him."_

_"Please take this mission I can't complete, this wish I can't fulfil, these promises I can't keep, and please make it true for him."_

_"That's all I ask of you."_

_"In exchange, I shall give you my place. My name, my life, my role, my possessions, everything shall be yours. I won't tell you how to use them. I'll leave it to you to decide. I hope you will decide on your own, and not listen to those who might want to use you."_

_"If possible, please gain happiness that I can't achieve with them."_

_"And if it's forgiven, please live on."_

_"From this day forward, you are no longer part of me."_

_"From this day forward, you shall be my successor."_

_"Perhaps no one will be able to understand, perhaps even you don't understand, but I pray so that one day our circumstances will be understood."_

_"I pray so that someday you'll stop needing my gifts, and can have your own place in people's hearts."_

_"So that one day, you will be seen by your most cherished not as me, but as the wonderful person you will surely become."_

_"Right now, it may seem impossible, but I will pray nevertheless for that time to come to you."_

_"With love, you'll surely be seen."_

_"Ion."_

* * *

Ion woke up with a start.

It's been too long since he's able to see a dream, but the two year old wondered if what he'd just heard was really a dream. He couldn't remember seeing anything, but he remembered the words said by the familiar voice down to the last comma, and the words reverberated inside him.

It was... nostalgic.

The voice, it was surely his own voice.

But at the same time, it wasn't.

It belonged to his Original, surely.

He knew, even though he had never heard his voice, nor had he remembered ever seeing him, Ion was sure of it.

Somehow, he was also sure that his Original had said it to him face to face, in a forgotten time when he was just came to existence.

"... Ion."

He'd called him his Echo, hadn't he?

For some reason Ion wondered what he'd call Sync. Maybe his Noise. He certainly gave off 'Noise' kind of feeling. The thought managed to make him laugh a bit.

Sync...

It's too bad it had to happen.

Thinking of the older replica, whom was like a brother in his heart, made his mood darkened again, and Ion sighed before shaking his head in attempt to snap himself out of it.

No, it's no use to think about it.

He had to look ahead.

But still, the message made him wonder. Ion had no doubt that his Original had really said it to him, and that fact made it even more confusing.

What did he mean by... giving me his love for Luke?

Out of many things, those words attracted his attention more.

In the first place, he didn't know that his Original had connection to Luke. The fellow replica had stayed in Baticul his whole life, they shouldn't have met. Luke sure didn't seem to even know Ion when they first met.

Somehow dirty images of his own self doing couple-y stuffs (not that Ion knew how that'd look, since he'd been so busy with keeping world's order, but he had read novels courtesy of Anise and it was enough for his imaginations) with Luke appeared on his mind, making him shudder.

For the time being, he decided that he's being silly and it's better to just focus to his work for the day.

* * *

"Ion."

* * *

"Not good, I can't concentrate..."

Ion moaned to particularly no one. His Original's voice still echoed in his mind. The young replica then rested his head on his desk, and smiled.

He had no doubt that what he heard in the dream was real, and so he felt a bit giddy. He closed his eyes and sighed contently.

He hadn't known his Original, but the message made him think of him as a kind person.

Unlike Luke whom had gotten his place from Van, without Asch's consent, apparently Ion had gotten his place with his Original's blessing. Sure he'd admitted that he was angry, but he also put down prayers for his replica's happy future. It was the best thing a replica could ask for.

The thought made him stop.

Asch...?

Asch was 'Luke' too. It's his true name. And didn't he used to be original Ion's companion?

If it's Asch he meant...

Ion had to make sure, but he knew just the right person to ask.

* * *

The sound of knocking echoed in the office few hours later, when Ion was doing his work.

"Come in."

"Excuse me."

The one who came in was a woman clad in black, with eye-patch covering her one eye. Actually she seemed manly with her short hair and eye-patch, and if it wasn't for her voluptuous body Ion wouldn't have guessed that she was a woman.

"Yes? What can I help you with?"

The woman looked at him weirdly.

"That's my line. I mean, I was told to see you."

"Ah, you must be Cantabile. I'm sorry, I was a bit distracted. Yes, I've been expecting you. Please sit."

Cantabile did as she was told, her eye still locked on Ion's.

Ion thought about how to say it to Cantabile. He looked at her handsome face and thought.

The woman in front of him was his original's confidant.

She quit being a Commander years ago due to a classified incident Ion never bothered to look up, instead taking up work as trainer in Oracle Academy, but she still went to missions under original Ion's orders.

Ion knew that his original trusted her so.

He also had no doubt that the woman knew of his true nature.

"Cantabile, can I ask something?"

She stayed silent, but Ion took it as a yes.

"... Asch and my original... how would you describe their relationship?"

Cantabile's breathing hitched.

"Damn, boy. You're not supposed to blurt that to anyone."

She said with low voice, almost a whisper.

Ion shrugged.

"I have no doubt that you know."

"Still, it's not good for you. When people find that the real Ion is dead already, there'll be chaos."

"I'm not planning to announce it, don't worry."

"Well, that's good... I mean, no offence. I have nothing against replicas, but what people need right now isn't that kind of surprise. Sense of continuity in times like this is necessary, if you know what I mean."

Ion knew and so he nodded.

The populace weren't happy with the decision to limit the Score reading, and if they heard that the one who instilled it was not the real Fon Master, but a mere double of him, their rage would not be easy to contain.

Cantabile sighed.

"Hm... Your original and Luke... huh?"

If his ears had motor nerves, Ions' would surely twitch and perk up like that of a cat.

"Luke?"

"Ah, sorry, old habit of mine. Your original started calling him Luke near his time of death, and I was convinced to call him that too. Asch, I mean."

So most likely he really did mean Asch... Ion thought as he nodded uncertainly.

Cantabile looked up and the faintest of smile graced her face.

"Hm... I don't know how to say it, boy. Asch never seemed to want to like the kid, but he certainly opened up to him, you know. As for your original, well, he's crazy about him."

The word confused Ion.

"... crazy... how?"

The woman shrugged.

"For some reason, Asch piqued his interest. And then he decided to make him his plaything. At least, that's how Asch put it. The way I see it, Ion only wanted what he thought is the best for Asch, with the keyword being thought. I don't know why."

She seemed nostalgic, her one eye focused on the ceiling. Even so, Ion knew that she wasn't seeing anything. Her mind must be filled with memories from the past, days spent with original Ion and Asch.

In the end, she just sighed.

"So? What about them?"

"... I'm not sure actually..."

"What's with that?"

Ion then proceeded by telling Cantabile of the voice he heard in his dream. He recited the message word by word, and in the end, Cantabile remarked that the message was so like his original to make with a chuckle.

"Like I said, he's crazy about Asch. That message really did sound like something he'd say. Although it's a bit surprising that he'd sound that nice to you... When he said he's angry, he was putting it mildly."

Ion had no reason to doubt that.


End file.
